Cyrus Engerer Sends Strongly-Worded 43 Point Email To Specialist Who Said LGBT-Free Zones Don’t Exist In Poland
A Maltese MEP has sent a strongly-worded list of 43 points indicating the work Poland needs to do on LGBTQI+ rights to truly bring the country into the modern age.
The email was sent to Anna Kubacka, a self-proclaimed women right’s specialist from the organisation Ordo Iuris, a conservative Polish legal organisation, after Kubacka reached out to Cyrus Engerer.
Kubacka complained about the fact that a video posted by the European Parliament marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia said that Poland, among other things, had “LGBT-free zones”.
“In fact, there have never been any ‘free zones’ or any discriminatory law in Poland,” Kubecka told Engerer, saying there was a lot of misinformation on the internet these days.
“I agree with you that there is a lot of disinformation on the internet and was always taught not to believe posts/videos on social media without fact-checking them, including from any political organisation,” Engerer sent back, going on to say he fact-checked the video himself.
“That said, I agree with you that the European Parliament videos were inaccurate. They only focused on the attack by the Polish Government on the queer community through these zones in various municipalities. When I delved further, I realised that the European Parliament left out,” he said, before listing 43 points.
You can find the 43 points below:
- Discrimination against women and their sexual and reproductive health and rights;
- Discrimination against gay men from being able to marry and raise a family;
- Discirmination against lesbian women from being able to marry and raise a family;
- Discimrination against homosexual couples not allowing them to use IVF health services offered to heterosexual couples;
- Discrimination against trans people from being able to affirm their gender identity;
- Discrimination against intersex people, where they have no right to choose over their own body;
- It is legal in Poland for homosexuals in Poland to undergo sexual conversion practices;
- The constitution allows discrimination based on sexual orientation;
- Laws still allow discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for the provision of goods and services;
- There is no compulsory education on sexual diversity in schools;
- There are no provision to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation when it comes to health policy;
- There is no Equality Action Plan on Sexual Orientation;
- There is no Equality Action Plan on Gender Identity;
- The constitution does not protect people based on their gender identity;
- There are no laws on gender expression;
- Employment laws do not mention sexual characterises;
- There is no equality body mandate with sexual characteristics;
- Poland still believes that gay men’s blood should to be donated to save lives;
- Apart from the fact that homosexual couples can’t get married, they can’t even register a partnership or enter cohabitation agreements;
- There is no Hate Crime Law based on sexual orientation
- There is no Hate Speech law based on sexual orientation;
- There is no policy tackling hate-based crimes on sexual orientation;
- There is no Hate crime law based on gender identity
- There is no Hate speech law based on gender identity
- There is no policy tackling hate-based crimes on gender identity
- Self-determination is not in policy for legal recognition of one’s gender identity;
- There are no legal gender recognition procedure for minors;
- There is no non-binary recognition;
- Trans people still need psychological diagnosis;
- There are compulsory surgical and medical interventions required for a person to affirm their gender identity;
- A person who is married cannot affirm their gender identity unless they divorce;
- There are age restrictions for the affirmation of one’s gender identity;
- Trans, gender diverse and intersex people are pathologised by psycho-medical and legal institutions;
- There is no prohibition on medical interventions for intersex people in Poland;
- There is no effective monitoring mechanism for intersex people;
- There is no access to justice for victims and reparations;
- There has been obstruction for LGBTIQ community to assemble freely in the past years;
- There is not enough protection to those assembling in LGBTIQ events;
- There is obstruction to the way LGBTIQ associations operate;
- LGBTIQ Human rights defenders are at risk in Poland;
- Laws in Poland limit freedom of expression;
- There are no positive measures in law or policy when it comes to aid LGB asylum seekers;
- There are no positive measures in law or policy when it comes to aid TIQ asylum seekers;
Engerer went on to say that he would be encouraging President of the European Parliament “to start a process so that next year on IDAHOBIT, the European Parliament mentions the other 43 problems that the LGBTIQ Community is facing in Poland so that it is no longer incorrect, as per your wishes.
“Thank you once again for pointing the problem in the video to us. Rest assured that the issue will be tackled,” he ended.
Poland has taken on a controversial approach to equality in the nation, with the government supported regional resolutions to declare their areas as anti-LGBT in largely symbolic gestures. However, a number of regions revoked their resolutions under threat of losing European Union funding.
The article forms part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. These articles reflect only the authors’ views. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information these articles contain.
What do you make of Engerer’s 43 points?
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